Before a criminal lawyer knows what has happened, she is forced to defend a wife killer she knows is guilty.
Rebecca De Mornay
Jennifer Haines
Don Johnson
David Greenhill
Stephen Lang
Phil Garson
Jack Warden
Moe
Dana Ivey
Judge Tompkins
Ron White
Diangelo
Norma Dell'Agnese
Emily
Sean McCann
Nolan
Luis Guzmán
Lt. Bernard Martinez
Robert Kennedy
Caniff
James Blendick
McMartin
Tom Butler
Heath
Christina Grace
Miriam Langford
Lynne Cormack
Esther Rothman
Barbara Eve Harris
Kathleen Bigelow
Simon Sinn
Mr. Loo
John Kapelos
Ed Lombardo
Tom McCamus
Ray Schiff
Harvey Atkin
Judge Steinberg
Anthony Sherwood
Ken Powell
Chris Benson
Arraignment Judge
Melanie Nicholls-King
Receptionist
Johnie Chase
Clerk
Brigit Wilson
Rita Greenhill
Alberto De Rosa
Plasterer
Yanira Contreras
Woman at Cleaners
Shelley Young
Woman at Supper Club
Sandi Ross
Postal Supervisor
Peter Blais
Handwriting Expert
Denis Akiyama
Lab Technician
Lili Francks
Nurse
Roland Rothchild
Intern
Jack Newman
Jury Foreman
Gene Mack
Security Guard
Tom Quinn
Squash Player
Director
Sidney Lumet
Writer
Larry Cohen
September 19, 2022
5
It probably didn't really help that for the first half of this film, I thought that Don Johnson was Kevin Costner! Once I'd sorted that out though, it didn't really make much difference - it's still a rather dull crime thriller that is really light on thrills. Rebecca De Mornay is "Haines", an ambitious lawyer who is drafted in to defend "Greenhill" - a rather unpleasant fellow accused of killing his wife. What now follows is a particularly sterile court room drama as first he plays her before she cottons on and decides that the worm needs to turn a bit. The whole thing is entirely predictable with none of the jeopardy of, say, "Jagged Edge" (1985) nor does Sidney Lumet really make much effort with the characterisations - they are shallow, malevolent and not in any way did they manage to hook me or keep me engaged for what seemed like an eternity of extremely obvious faux plot twists. The ending is fitting, but I could have been doing with it about half an hour earlier! Another film for the telly, after a few drinks.
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$0.00
Revenue:
$22,886,222.00